Improvement in firemen s extension-ladders



3 Sheets--Sheet 2.. S. KNZ.

l Firemens" Extension-Ladder. No, 167,342 PatentedAug. 31,1875.

PLPETERS, PHO'YO-UTHDGRAFHER, WASHINGTON. D C.

NITEn i ATE;

SEBASTIAN KoNZ, or LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

Specification 4forming part of Letters Patent No. 167,342, dated August31, 1875; applicationk filed May 7,1875.,

Torall whom it 'may concern:

Beit known that l, SEBASTIAN KoNZ, of Louisville, in the county of Jel'erson and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Extension-Ladders; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, whichwillenable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and usethe same, reference being had t0 the accompanying drawings, and to theletters ot' reference. marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecilication- Figure l being anv end elevation, showing theladder inits lowest or folded position, the gearing for elevating the same, thegrooved guides `in which the geared racks move, the hose-reel, theadjustable socket for attaching the hose to the ladder, and a series oi'levers for use. in starting the ladder from its closedposition. Fig. 2is aside elevation, partly in section, showingthebeveled bars whichcompose the ladder, the elastic tubes which inclose therungs thereof,the sliding and stationary brackets to which the lower.,ends oi theladder-bars are attached, a portion of the gearing for moving the same,the hose-reel, the hose in position, theadjustable socket which securesthe hose to the ladder, and the lever for aiding in startin g the ladderfrom its closed position. Fig. 3 is a portion of a front eleva-V tion,showing s ome of the parts above enumerated, and in addition thereto amodified form of device for starting the ladder from its closedposition; and Figa is a portion of a side elevation, partly in section,showing a pawl and ratchet for Securing the ladder in its elevatedposition, and another modified form of apparatus for aiding in startingthe ladder.

Corresponding letters denote corresponding` parts in the severalfigures.

This invention relates to extension-ladders; and it consists in theconstruction, combina tion, and arrangement of the parts of which it iscomposed, as will be more fully explained hereinafter.

In constructing devices of this character I provide a frame, which mayconsist ot' sills and cross-bars, which will adapt it to the receptionof wheels for facilitating its transportation. Upon the frame alludedto, but

not shown, there are placedtwo'longitudinal grooved bars, A, which areof such length as to adapt them for the reception `and support of theother portions of the device, they being held at proper distance apartby bars lor` rods A', as shown. In the upper surfaces-of these barsgrooves are formed, whichare wider at their bottoms than at their tops,as shown in Fig. 3. Upon the front end of the bars A projections B areformed or bolted, whichIare bifurcated to adapt them to the reception ofthe lower outer end ot' one ot' the -lower bars l of which the ladder iscomposed. In the groove in the bar A, rearward from the fixedprojections B, there is placed a sliding rack, B1, which has upon itsfront end a projection,

B2, which is similar in construction to the one,

B,'just alluded to, and which receives'and holds the lower outer end ofthe other -lower bar of the ladder, as shown in Fig. l. To thebifurcated projections B and B2 are pivoted oi' some other `elasticmaterial, are placed for thepurpose of preventing theloperator fromlslipping when ascending or descending, and also for preventing to someextent the formation ot' ice thereon. For the purpose of facilitatingthe lirst movement ot the folded bars C2, when they are in positionsshown in Figs. 2 and 4, the ends ot' rods D are made to project outwardbeyond said bars, in order that they may be acted upon by some suitablemechanism for starting them in their upward movement, and thus relievethe strain upon the gearing which elevates them, as the amount of forcerequired to move them at that time is much greater than it is after theyhave been carried up some distance, owing to the angle at which they areplaced with reference to the projections B and B2.

For operating the sliding racks B1 B1L and projections B B2, there is ashaft, F, mounted 2 iena/i2 in pedestals Fl F1, which carries upon itpinion-gears F2 F2 and cranks F3 F3, the latter furnishing the means forgiving motion to the shaft F and its pinions, and through them to thegear-wheels F4, which are mounted upon a shaft, G, upon which, andbetween the wheels F4, are secured two other wheels, H H', which meshinto and move the racks B1 B1, which Operation causes the projections BB2 to be moved horizontally, thus elevating or depressing the ladderaccording to the direction in which the gear-wheels are rotated. Inladders of this description it is important that provision should bemade for holding them at any desired degree of elevation, and in orderthat this may be accomplished, there are placed upon each of thepedestals F1 a dog, I, the outer end of which engages with aratchetwheel, I1, placed upon the shaft F. This dog is so arranged thatits Own weight will cause its end tO come in contact with theratchetwheel, when it is liberated from the control of a keeper, I2,which is secured to the side of the pedestal, and which is so made thatwhen it is desirable to lower the ladder it is turned into such aposition as to cause it to throw down the end of the dog, which engageswith the wheel and thus allow the ladder to belowered 5 but which, whenthe ladder is to be elevated, is turned in another direction, whichcauses its eccentric portion to come in contact with the outer end ofthe dog` and thus keep its inner end in contact with the wheel, and sothe ladder will be retained at any point desired.

For facilitating the management and the carrying ot' a hose inconnection with a ladder of this description, there is combinedtherewith a hose-reel and an adjustable socket for holding thedischarge-nozzle, the reel be-v ing placed in bearings K K, attached tothe bars A, Or to the frame upon which the device rests. Upon this reelthe hose L is wound in such a manner that as the ladder is elevated itwill be unwound therefrom. The Opposite end of hose L is provided with adischargenozzle, M, which is attached to a socket, N, in which it turnsfreely, said socket having its opposite end fitted to another socket, O,through the inner end of which the upper rod D of the ladder passes,said socket turning freely thereon and being provided with a set-screw,O', for securing it in any desired position.

It will be seen that owing to the fact that the4 hose is att-ached tothe upper rung of the ladder and to the reel upon the machine, it isalways in place and is always raised with the ladder, its lower endbeing ready to have attached to it other sections of hose; and, further,that owing to the construction of the adjustable socket, which attachesthe hose to the ladder, it is firmly held thereto, and that it may beturned in any direction by the Operator, while he is relieved from thenecessity of supporting any part of the weight Of the hose. In orderthat the device may be tilted in such a manner as to give the ladder aninclination toward the building, for facilitating the entering thereofthrough `an y of its upper windows or doors, rollers are placed in theupper outer ends of the highest of the series of bars C2, so that if inelevating it, while in its inclined position, the ends should come incontact with the building, it would not be stopped in its movements bycatching under window sills or caps.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. In combination with the connecting-bolts D D ot' an extension-ladder,the elastic tubes D', substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In combination with the rung of an extension-ladder, the adjustablesOcketN O, the parts being arranged substantially as shown, whereby thedischarge-nozzle M is rendered capable Ot' having imparted to it avertical movement, a movement horizontally through the arc of a circle,and of being placed at any required angle to the rung of the ladder, asand for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination of the reel, the hose, the adjustable socket, and thedischarge-nozzle, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own invention I ailx mysignature in presence ot' two witnesses.

SEBASTIAN KONZ.v

Witnesses:

THOMAS W. COLE SCOTT, W. C. CONDEN.

